Mauna Loa, one of our two first time lambers this year, produced her single lamb this afternoon. We went out seconds after it was born, to find Bleeping Brigitte stealing the lamb, shoving Mauna out of the way, and all the usual thieving things she got up to once before. Mauna ran away, two fields away, milling around with the rest of the ewes, but not wanting her lamb any more. Lamb was looking the worse for wear so I took her indoors and gave her a little colostrum - not a whole dose as I wanted her to be perky enough to still feed from Mauna if we could catch her. Meanwhile Brigitte was bawling her head off for 'her' lamb and charging around from field to field - mayhem.
How to catch Mauna Loa? We ended up having to round up the whole flock of heavily pregnant ewes, far from ideal, but Mauna was way too spooked by then to be catchable any other way.
Mum and lambie are now in the pen in the polytunnel we keep made up for just such eventualities. At first Mauna had a go at butting daughter, and me, and the drinker and anything else she set eyes on, but slowly she has settled down and is now washing the lamb and purring at her. Lambie meanwhile is doing her best to get to the dairy, but last I saw Mauna was hopping away every time she approached the back end. We've left them to it so they can work at mothering up in peace.
Meanwhile Bleeping Brigitte is in disgrace and has been put in with the ancient biddies, just in case someone else lambs and she tries to steal those too. I expect her to lamb within a few hours, as that was the reason for her previous lamb theft attempt.
We're knackered now.....sheep, who'd have 'em
Topic: Bl%%*? Brigitte (Read 6365 times)
